Apple files application for 'iWatch' trademark in Japan

Evidence is mounting that Apple might out a smartwatch in the near future after YahooJapan noticed that the company applied for the "iWatch" trademark in Japan on June 3rd. Our Japanese editor noticed that several other companies have applied for that term as well, though this one (released on June 27th) is from Apple Inc. of Cupertino. That follows a patent application from Apple we saw earlier in the year for a watch-like AMOLED device that proposed a slap bracelet, kinetic energy charger and "end-detection" user sensor, among other features. In addition, other rumors from Bloombergback in February suggested that 100 Apple employees were working on a smartwatch of some kind. If we don't see a device after all that, Cupertino's gone to a heck of a lot of trouble for nothing. Check after the break for a screen grab (in Japanese) of the trademark application.

Update: As it turns out, Cook and Co. have applied for the "iWatch" trademark in Mexico and Taiwan too. A Russian newspaper claims that Apple has also filed for the trademark in the country, but the official paperwork hasn't surfaced quite yet.